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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — a division
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stock — shares
  6. suit — clothes
  7. can — to be able to
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. suit — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. straw — dry grass

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com